Inheritence
by FluffyBlonde
Summary: Sometimes things are more than they appear... A fluffy story about family.Rated T for safety. EC
1. Tragedy

I don't own any of the Characters here (Except Jessica, Vivian, and Emily.) Please don't sue.

Dedicated to Adorelo : The person who made me go for it!

XXX

* * *

Calleigh woke to the melodious chirruping of birds on the tree outside of the bedroom window. She was warm, comforted, so much so that she dare not open her eyes for fear of losing the dream that this fantastic, safe feeling must be. Suddenly, strong arms pulled her close and she found herself not fighting as she would have if she was fully conscious, but snuggling close. She finally wound up the courage to open her eyes, still unsure about if it was a dream or not, if last night had really happened or if she would wake up cold and alone. Unfortunately, the latter seemed to be unyielding in her life. She almost gasped with shock when she saw two big, dark brown eyes gazing back into her own. Eric's eyes. 

"Morning." He whispered sweetly. For once she was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe what had happened last night. But for once it was a good disbelief, not the negative disbelief that surrounded every aspect of her existence. All she could do was smile. Terror suddenly gripped her soul. This was Eric. How could she have spoilt what they had? The best friendship she had and she had possibly spoilt it. She could have kicked herself. Eric looked worried. She quickly faked a smile, hoping that he'd just brush her last fearful expression off. She began to climb out of bed, clutching the thin sheet to her. Slowly, she made her way to the bedroom window, her thinking place. She heard heavy footsteps creep behind her and felt warm arms surround her, comforting her once more. He placed a small kiss on her cheek and she couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. She turned to face him, but found herself unable to look him in the eye for fear of bursting into tears. "Look, if this is about something that happened last night, you can tell me. Did I do something wrong?"

"No!" She replied, appalled at the belief that he thought that he had done something wrong, "No. What you did was very, very … right …"

_She had barely shut the door before he was all over her again, his hands on her waist, dipping under the hem of her shirt. He pressed her up against the wall, pinning her hands above her head, exploring her mouth with his own. He started to unbutton her shirt, running his hands up her stomach, sliding over her silky smooth skin, over a tiny white scar, over her belly button, all the way to her bra, which he began to hastily undo…_

"Well," He chuckled, pulling her out of her memory, "What is it?"

She thought for a moment, but couldn't remember what was really wrong. This WAS Eric. The greatest, most charming, handsome, loving, perfect man she knew and he wanted to be with her, something he made pretty clear last night…

_He pulled her close, softly placing a kiss to her forehead._

"_I love you." He whispered, almost inaudibly._

"_I love you too." …_

She'd surprised herself when she had said that; spontaneity was never really her thing. She didn't know, up until that point, just how deep her feeling for him ran. She did love him. So much.

"Calleigh?"

She didn't know what to say. There was nothing wrong. Everything was so right, as if it was meant to be. She looked into his eyes, no longer feeling the desire to cry, and told him the truth.

"Nothing. Everything is perfect."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. The sound of a car horn wrenched them out of their dreamlike state. Calleigh's eyes widened in fear and she spun around to take a look out of the bay window. A silver sports car was pulling up in the driveway. Eric unexpectedly got a face full of his trousers, which Calleigh had obviously chucked at him, and was now speedily grabbing some random clothes from one of her drawers.

"What's going on?" He enquired, blissfully unaware. Calleigh dashed into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Eric! Hurry up and get dressed!"

"Who is that?"

He heard her brushing her hair.

"I forgot I'm meant to be looking after my nieces today!" She yelled. He searched his memory for her nieces.

_He gazed at all the photos_, _Calleigh and her father, Calleigh and her mother, Calleigh and her brothers, Calleigh and him… a shelf completely devoted to him, her and the rest of the team. He got up from his position on the couch to take a closer look, to examine the photos. Them at the beach, them at HQ, them at the plaza… the photos just went on and on. He decided to switch to another shelf (A photo of Speed conjured a large lump in his throat.) He looked upwards, three blonde heads catching his eye. Calleigh was at the beach with a young girl, no older than 7 and a baby, a newborn, who both struck a resemblance to her; big green eyes and bright blonde hair. Footsteps behind him made him look around. She was stood in the doorway, head resting against the frame, and an amused look on her face._

"_They're my nieces, Jessica and Emily."_

"_They look like you."_

_She giggled," They shouldn't. Vivian isn't really my sister, just a good friend."_

"_Oh…" He looked back to the photo, "They look sweet"…_

The downstairs door opening brought him back to reality, and he quickly yanked on his pants, almost falling over in his effort to get them on as speedily as possible.

"Calleigh?" Footfalls on the stairs. Oh sod! He needed somewhere to hide … but where? Under the bed? There's no room… Calleigh was in the bathroom, so that wouldn't work… The Wardrobe!!! Yes! He dived over the bed, his shirt still hung over the end of the bed. He swiftly leapt into the wardrobe, carefully closing the door behind him, recalling why he was going to all this trouble to hide.

"_Eric?" She whispered, fearing to wake him if he was asleep._

"_Hmmmm…" He replied sleepily._

_She sighed, wondering how to put her next sentence in a way that wouldn't hurt him._

"_I don't think that we should tell people about us just yet."_

_He was suddenly wide-awake, staring down at her in shock of what she had just said._

"_What? Why? Are you ashamed of me or something?" He asked sounding immensely hurt._

"_Oh god!" She sighed, sitting up, burying her face in her hands," No. I would never be ashamed of you. I'm just scared we'll lose our jobs."_

"_Yeah…" He said, understanding, but still sounding slightly wounded," That doesn't mean we can't tell our friends, though."_

"_It does," She said quietly," If we tell your parents, then the news could easily get round to Horatio and Stetler. We'll just have to lie low for a while until I can talk to Horatio."_

"_Yeah, I suppose."_

"_No one can know. No one."_

"_Ok."_

His promise to lie low resounded in his head as he crouched in the small wardrobe. What he'd do for her… The bedroom door opened, footsteps crossed the room, Eric felt the tension, the fear, pulse through every nerve in his body. He was about to be rumbled, he knew it. Stetler would make sure he AND Calleigh would lose their jobs and it would all be his fault. Suddenly, his ankle twisted and he flew head first into the other wall of the wardrobe, head butting the back of it on his way down. The doors of the wardrobe were flung open and he abruptly found himself staring at a short brunette who was looking at him questioningly.

"Calleigh? Did you know there's a man hiding in your cupboard?" She yelled, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Calleigh rushed out of the bathroom to find her friend staring at her boyfriend, whom was half hanging out of the wardrobe, a purple bruise appearing on his head. She looked at him, amused, and slowly sidled over, placing her hand on his cheek.

"Why did you hide in the cupboard?" She asked, not being able to help suppressing a small giggle along with it.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

She helped him up.

"What is this?" Vivian asked, sounding almost shocked.

"Before I say anything else, I want you to promise me that you won't tell anybody! Not even Jessica!" Calleigh stressed. Eric couldn't see at that point why a seven year old would even listen to information about her aunts love life, but kept it to himself.

"Yeah! Ok!" Vivian squealed, obviously over excited, and jumped onto the still unmade bed, eager for gossip.

"This is Eric…"

"Oh! I've heard sooooo much about you! You'd think the sun shines out of your ars…"

"Viv!!! Sometimes just nodding is Okay!" Calleigh interrupted. Vivian nodded enthusiastically, acting like a five year old who was about to get sweets.

"We spent last night together…" She paused waiting for her to cotton on (She didn't), "Together… In my house… In here … right here…"

Vivian nodded again, but then she suddenly looked puzzled.

"Vivian, get there faster!!!"

Her mouth formed a little 'o' of understanding.

"You two?" she shrieked, only halted by Calleighs hands sudden appearance over her mouth.

"Shhhhh!!!" Calleigh exclaimed removing her hand.

"Tell me everything!"

"Hang on!" Eric intervened," She's not going to tell you about our love life, are you?" He added questioningly to the end of his sentence. Calleigh opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shrill squeal of …

"Calleigh!" A tiny blonde head appeared around the doorframe, smiling widely.

"Not now." Calleigh said, rushing towards the little girl, scooping her up upon reaching the doorframe. Eric and Vivian both smiled wistfully. Calleigh walked through the door and they heard her walk down the stairs, Jessica still laughing in her arms.

"You're a lucky bloke. I know a hundred guys who'd give their souls to be you." Vivian chirped, sliding off of the bed. Eric smiled.

* * *

"I'll be back for them about 2ish," Vivian laughed, climbing back into her sports car, "Bye!" 

"Bye!" Calleigh shouted to the withdrawing car, tiny blonde baby in her arms. She walked inside her house and shut the door behind her, smiling as she beheld Jessica telling Eric about Osteoporosis.

"What are we going to do today?" Calleigh asked her, interrupting the conversation.

"I've got to go to work!" Eric exclaimed, standing up and making his way to the door. Calleigh followed him, Emily still residing in her arms. He kissed her swiftly on the cheek before whispering, "How old is she?" Referring to Jessica.

"She's smart for her age." Calleigh replied, glancing over her shoulder to Jessica, who was now engrossed in a book marked 'Quantum Physics for dummies'. He scratched his scalp, shocked at a seven year old knowing more than he did.

"Bye Jessica." He said, toward the small figure hidden behind the large book.

"Bye, Eric." She answered. He opened the door and set off to work in his car, not knowing what tragedy the day would bring.

* * *

"One Vic, Female, mid thirties, brunette." Frank stated," Car crash, the other driver walked away." 

Eric picked up his kit and walked towards Alexx who was examining the body in front of the mess that was the silver sports car that was now lying in a heap in the middle of the freeway. The closer he moved towards Alexx, the bigger the realisation was that he knew the Vic, a short brunette …

"_You're a lucky bloke. I know a hundred guys who'd give their souls to be you." Vivian chirped, sliding off of the bed._

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Please Review. Special thanks to all those who are part of TalkCSI! 

XXX


	2. Tears

He couldn't believe it. She was laid there, her body broken and pale, blood splattered over the same white t-shirt he had only seen her in that morning. She was dead.

"Eric? You Ok?" Alexx's voice sliced through the fog of thoughts in his brain like a knife.

"She…She was fine an hour ago." He stuttered in return. He still couldn't believe she was gone, that someone so full of life just 1 hour ago could be lying dead in front of him now.

"You know her?"

"Yeah… It's … It's Calleigh's friend …" The words seemed like they were coming from someone else, "Vivian. I only met her this morning… She's got kids… Two girls." He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "The youngest is only six months old."

"Eric, that's impossible." She exclaimed, lifting up the hem of her t-shirt, exposing a long, pale scar running horizontally across her lower stomach, "This is a Hysterectomy scar. Surgeons haven't done it like this since Jenny Layton died during that Op in 1999."

He dropped his kit, the feeling in his arms rapidly deteriorating.

"Then where did the girls come from?" Eric asked, totally confused, totally oblivious to who Jenny Layton was.

"Not her. Adopted perhaps, maybe a surrogate. Whoever it is will have a IVF scar on their stomach." Alexx stood up and walked around the body to where Eric was stood, removed her gloves and picked up his kit. Understanding what the gesture meant, he slowly, sadly followed her back to his car, considering what would be the best way to tell Calleigh Vivian was gone. No words he could conjure would prevent pain.

* * *

"Calleigh…We need to talk." Eric explained to Calleigh, who was still slightly annoyed about having to come all the way from the Museum (Jessica's choice) back to HQ for a reason that Eric refused to specify over the phone. Alexx, stood beside Eric, crouched down next to Jessica.

"Why don't we go see if I've got a encyclopaedia we can have a look at?" Alexx cooed, extending her hand. An enthusiastic nod sealed the deal and Alexx took Jessica's hand and wheeled the pram out of the lobby towards the elevators, leaving Eric to tell Calleigh.

"We need to talk." He repeated, not wanting to say 'that' sentence.

"What's going on? Are you breaking up with me?" She asked, sounding, Eric noted, slightly scared.

"No! No," He took her hand and sat down, pulling her with him," Ok… There was a … Erm … Ok …" He paused wondering how to phrase 'that' sentence. Whichever way he said it in his head, they all had the same outcome. Sadness and a lot of it. He eventually chose the one that sounded least bloody.

"There was an accident on the freeway this morning and there was a fatality. Vivian was killed in that car accident. I'm so sorry." He whispered, almost not wanting her to hear. She immediately pulled back her hand and looked towards the doorway, as if sizing up her possible escape routes to go back to the world of denial she tended to live in. She shocked herself when she found a hot tear slowly making its way down her cheek, followed by another and another. Eric pulled her into his arms, sorry for all the pain he had caused by saying those few words. Normally, Calleigh would have been annoyed at such a public display of affection, but seeing as her best friend had just died, she let it slide rather easily. In fact, she was actually glad he was there to comfort her otherwise she would have probably diffused into hysterics. Everything had changed.

* * *

"What about the other driver?" Asked Calleigh, when she had calmed down enough to speak without taking huge gasps between words.

"He was in a truck: walked away." Eric explained, noticing the anger boil inside of her at these few words.

"What happened?" She whispered, her eyes boring into his, her silent plea for any information.

"Erm … The … the driver fell asleep at the wheel, travelling at seventy miles an hour. He hit Vivian … and then a tree." He paused as she gasped, realising the horror Vivian must have faced in her final moments, "She was crushed between the two."

He watched her slowly close her eyes, another silent tear dripped down her cheek. What he'd give to take those words back; her living in blissful ignorance was better than the hurt and loneliness she was feeling now. The fact that she would have found out eventually was the only thought convincing him that what he did was for her own good. If he hadn't have told her, she'd have been waiting for her to pick the girls up, only to learn from someone else that Vivian had been involved in a horrific accident. What about the girls? That was another issue that would have to be resolved, perhaps not right now, while Calleigh was still intensely upset, but in the near future. Did they have a father they could go and live with? Grandparents? Other family?

"I'll have to go and fetch some clothes and toys for the girls." She said stiffly, standing up and wiping any remaining tears from her eyes, almost reading Eric's mind. He pulled her back down so they could properly talk about the situation.

"What about their father?"

"Mark died four months ago. Didn't I tell you that last night?" She asked, confused.

_Footsteps behind him made him look around. She was stood in the doorway, head resting against the frame, and an amused look on her face._

"_They're my nieces, Jessica and Emily."_

"_They look like you."_

_She giggled," They shouldn't. Vivian isn't really my sister, just a good friend."_

"_Oh…" He looked back to the photo, "They look sweet"_

_She walked over, joining him in front of the cupboard. Reaching up to the top shelf, she pulled down another photo. This time, a man with short black hair was cradling Emily, Jessica stood by his side and another, older girl (Around nine or ten) with long black curls and big brown eyes._

"_That's Mark," She said, pointing to the man," Vivian's …husband and Missy, their eldest."_

_Eric started to get concerned. She sounded choked up, a rare thing to happen to Calleigh._

"_He looks nice." He said honestly. Mark really did look like a genuinely nice guy._

"_He was." She confirmed._

"_Was?" He replied, not yet understanding the term._

"_Yeah, he AND Missy were killed in a car accident four months ago."_

_He couldn't believe it. She'd never mentioned anything about a car accident before. She took the photo and replaced it back on the shelf._

"_What happened?" He asked, almost not wanting to know the answer._

"_I'll tell you later." She smiled and left the room, leaving him staring up at Missy who was smiling an enigmatic smile, possibly her photo, possibly her last smile…_

"I'd forgotten." He could have kicked himself for being such an insensitive jerk. How DID they die? A question possibly he'd never have answered.

"They were on the freeway too," She said, reading his mind, "He was taking Missy to school. Normal day, radio on, happiness. Except, the radio was turned up so loud that they didn't hear the screech of the joy riders brakes. They hit the driver's side and both cars went into the water. Mark was killed instantly but Missy was still sat in the passenger seat. By the time a passer by had dived in to retrieve her, she was already dead. Vivian was meant to take her to school that morning. She never forgave herself."

Calleighs eyes glazed over and Eric somehow wished she were making it all up.

"The joy riders survived and got 4 years each. 4 years for 2 lives."

He voice began breaking up again. They both sat in an uncomfortable silence until Eric readdressed the issue.

"What about grandparents?"

"They're dead too."

"No aunts or uncles?"

"No."

He searched for a solution, suddenly remembering an earlier conversation with Alexx.

"What about their maternal mother?"

"WHAT? How did you know about that?" She exclaimed, sounding very alarmed.

"Alexx found an eight year old hysterectomy scar on her stomach."

Calleigh felt she should explain about this too. She seemed to be doing that a lot today.

"She had Cancer. She'd always wanted a huge family but she had that chance snatched away from her so she asked someone to be her surrogate."

"That explains why they don't look like either of their parents," He understood, they must look like their mother, their real mother, "Who's the surrogate?"

She glanced at her watch and stood up sharply.

"Look, I've got to go… pick up some stuff… think about things for a while." She said, walking towards the elevator, "Bye, Eric."

Why did that sound familiar?

"_Bye, Eric." She answered._

Jessica sounded a lot like Calleigh. Looked a lot like Calleigh. Calleigh.

"_Whoever it is will have a IVF scar on their stomach."_

_Running his hands up her stomach, sliding over her silky smooth skin, over a tiny white scar…_

_He looked upwards, three blonde heads catching his eye. Calleigh was at the beach with a young girl, no older than 7 and a baby, a newborn, who both struck a resemblance to her; big green eyes and bright blonde hair._

"_They look like you."_

_"That explains why they don't look like either of their parents," He understood, they must look like their mother, their real mother,_

_Maybe a surrogate._

_Maybe a surrogate._

_A surrogate …_

"HANG ON A MINUTE!" He yelled. It didn't take him as long as Vivian to cotton on…

T.B.C…


	3. Confrontation

Sorry, this chapter is really short. I'll write more soon.

* * *

He dashed towards her. She looked incredibly alarmed at his outburst, still not understanding what he had discovered. She should have known he'd put two and two together; he was a CSI after all. Why hadn't she told him? 

"What's up?" She asked. Eric could feel shock building inside of him and was doing all he could to make sure he didn't shout his next question.

"Why didn't you tell me you were the surrogate?" He whispered. Her eyes widened, and she quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard. He stared at her expectantly. He wasn't going to leave without an answer.

"Look …" She started. As if on cue, the elevator opened, revealing it's empty interior. Eric suddenly found himself being pushed into it, much to his surprise, who'd expected a huge confrontation in the reception. He stared at her silently for a minute as she watched the doors of the elevator slide closed, making sure they were alone before she started to explain. She wanted as few people to know as possible, that way she would be asked as few difficult questions as possible, questions she didn't know how to deal with. Slowly, she turned to face him, anticipating his first question.

"Why didn't you…?"

"I was scared Eric!" She interrupted, showing a kind of intensity that he'd never seen before, "Do you think it's easy? What was I supposed to say? 'Hi Eric, these are my kids!' Because you'd have reacted fantastically to that!"

"You could have NOT lied to me! You could have said something … hinted something!" He yelled.

He couldn't believe what was happening … it had all happened so fast. Calleigh had suddenly got two girls and now he was having a blazing argument with the one person he loved more than anything in the world … She quickly turned her back to him, not able to look him in the eye once more. Without realising, a tear slipped down her cheek again, her shoulders began to shake, her breathing turning into agonised gasps. She felt warm arms slip around her waist and no matter how much her brain told her to shake him off, to reject him, she couldn't bring herself to do it. He'd hurt her … True … but she'd also lied to him. She turned to face him, her eyes still wet with tears, and what she had to say next broke his heart ...

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Thanks for reading. Please review! Once again, sorry it's quite short. 


	4. Break up and Make up

Sorry. This paragraph took quite a while to write. Enjoy.

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"Eric, I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry." She whispered, her eyes emotionless, as if her heart had just gone stone cold, as if she had closed off with no way of recovering the carefree Calleigh he had had dinner with last night…

_He rushed round to the passenger side of the car, suddenly filled with this incontrollable urge to please her. He helped her out of the car, carefully as not to make any sort of blemish on her delicate pale skin._

"_Where we going?" She asked, the destination being a secret kept from her for now._

" _Right here." He said enticingly, pointing to a picnic blanket set out on the beach, a woven picnic box resting on top of it and … Alexx sat at the side. Upon seeing them, Alexx leapt up, dusting the sand from her cream suit, hastily closing the magazine she was reading. She slowly walked towards them, smiling at Calleighs long white dress, which fitted her curves perfectly._

"_Sweetie, you look incredible!" She said, admiringly. _

"_You on the other hand…" She paused turning to Eric, producing a red tie from one of her pockets, "Don't look fit to accompany such a fine looking lady."_

_She handed him the tie, watching to make sure he was putting it on (He was notorious for not liking ties.) _

"_Now," She said, happy that he had got it at least draped around his neck, "I've got places to be …"_

"_I know," He interrupted, the tie still lying loose around him, yielding a large bunch of red tulips from the back seat of his car, "And these are to say thanks for looking after the picnic."_

_She received the flowers gratefully before departing in her own car._

"_And these," He said, handing her a bunch of white lilies," Are for you!"_

_She gasped at the beauty of them, her favourite flower._

"_How did you know they are my favourites?" She asked, still astounded at the splendour of the lilies._

"_You told me last night." He laughed, remembering the fantastic time they had had._

"_They're beautiful. Thank you." She assured. Suddenly, without much warning, she placed a small kiss on his lips. He couldn't believe it. She'd kissed him. SHE'D KISSED HIM! YESSSSSS! Go on, son! So engrossed in his mental celebration, he didn't notice her walk away and sit down on the picnic mat._

"_Are you coming or not?" She sweetly requested. He ran over, pushing the tie into his pocket as he went, deciding it was going to be a very good night …_

Once again she was walking away, out of the open elevator doors, leaving him shrouded in disbelief of what she had just said. He was convinced his ears were trying to fool him into believing that she didn't want him anymore, that the sadness that now enveloped him was his ears fault and that she hadn't said anything. Running to catch up with her, he tried to forget what he THOUGHT he had heard. 

"Are you going to keep the kids?" He asked. She spun around, realising he was living in denial, a small place she spent most of her time.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" She argued, determined that he wasn't going to share her little place, a place where she'd locked herself away in for so long.

"Yes, but you're upset so I'm going to ignore it." He stated with such confidence she had to make sure in her own mind she had meant it. She had. It was for his own good, the girls good, her good. Almost everyone won. Except she didn't. She loved him, more than life itself, and was pouring all of her self control into not rushing back into his arms, her safe place.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." She cried, still half wanting to tell him she was joking, that they were okay.

"Why?" He pleaded, his eyes confirming the hurt that now rested in his soul.

"Because …"She paused, not knowing what to say or how to say it, "Because, soon, if you stay, you'll get fed up of me or the girls or the responsibility or all of the above and leave us. That's not what the girls need right now. They need stability, not for another father figure to leave without any warning. That's why."

He was flabbergasted. How could she think he'd just leave her?

"I'll never leave you OR the girls. You're a huge part of my life now, of my plans, and they will be too. I really want to be there for all of you." He revealed, honesty cascading out of him like a bucket Calleigh had used for target practice.

"You say that now but …"

"It'll be the same tomorrow and the day after and in 20 years time. I don't care if I have to get up at two in the morning to change Emily's diaper or if I have to bail Jessica out of jail for protests against animal testing … not that I think I will have to!" He added hastily after seeing her worried expression. Needless to say, he was thoroughly relieved when she giggled, "I want to be there through the ups and downs. Whenever life throws a curveball, I want to be there. Let me be there."

"Ok." She whispered.

"You what?" He couldn't believe she'd given in that easily. He'd expected to have to beg and plead on his knees for a while. She trusted his word.

"I'm going to trust you not to hurt us." She explained, throwing herself into his arms, begging him silently to keep his word. Relief spread across his body, they were OK. They were going to be OK. He returned her embrace with so much enthusiasm he lifted her up off of her feet. It was going to be Ok. She was so glad he would fight for her, a signal to her that he would protect her and the girls. The girls. Suddenly, her euphoria disappeared as if it had been pulled out to sea by a raging tide. What would she tell Jessica? How much did she already know? She has always been sort of psychic, but did she know about this? Did she know her 'mother' had just had a car accident, and had died in the same way her beloved father had gone? She pulled away from the comfort and protection of Eric's arms to face the real world, a world full of pain and hate. She slowly walked into the break room where Jessica was reading, deciding the best course of action. Crouching down in front of her, Calleigh decided Jessica deserved the truth.

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Please review! Next Paragraph coming soon! 


	5. The knowing

Sorry, It's another short paragraph. I promise the next will be longer.

* * *

"Jessica, I've got to tell you something and I just want you to know that it's going to be ok and … erm …" Suddenly she was a loss for words. A fresh bought of pain spread through her like lightning, knowing that the loss she felt surging through her veins would quickly spread to Jessica with the horrific news she was about to bring. 

"Jessica, there was a … a car accident this morning on the freeway. Your mother was killed. I'm so sorry." She choked, each sentence bringing a fresh batch of tears. Jessica's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to understand what Calleigh had just said.

"No, she wasn't." Jessica said defiantly, reaching out her tiny, frail hand to hold Calleigh's. Calleigh sighed. Denial was not really the optimum place for Jessica to be, especially at such a young age. Alexx carefully wheeled the pram out of the room, sensing that this would be easier to explain without her presence.

"Jessica …"

"I think," Jessica interrupted, stealing a glance over her shoulder, checking that Alexx had departed, "You and I both know Vivian wasn't my mother."

Calleigh's breath hitched.

"It doesn't mean I'm not upset," She continued, grasping Calleigh's hands tightly, "Because I am. I'm sad that she's gone … but … I can't consider a person who has lied to me all my life my best friend."

"How long have you know?" Calleigh asked, the initial shock wearing off, the feeling starting to flood back to her legs.

"Three months." Jessica whispered, once again, glancing over her shoulder to check the room was still devoid of others, "Vivian thought I could handle it. I knew something was wrong when Emily just appeared. I confronted her and she blurted the whole thing out ..."

Jessica's green eyes suddenly pooled with tears, remembering the hurt Vivian had caused when she told her the truth, the painful truth. Calleigh threw her arms around her, trying to make up for all those years when she was growing up with someone else, trying to make not only Jessica realise just how much she was loved but also herself feel better for giving her own flesh and blood willingly away. It was at that moment that she realised that she, up until now, had only lived a half life, devoid of intimacy and love, replaced with work, covering the loneliness that haunted her life. It was also at this moment that she realised everything was going to change. She would no longer be spending 15 hours a day at work, filling her Saturday nights with processing firearms, but watching movies and helping Jessica with her homework and … going to bed at night with the man of her dreams, someone who would stand by her no matter what. She relinquished her hold on the little girl and slowly led her out of the break room. As she walked towards the pram that contained her tiny sister, Jessica saw her new life emerge from the dust and fog that had clouded her brain since she found out the truth, a truth that was not a horrible, disturbing truth but a truth that made her think, but also a truth that made her withdraw from Vivian, a person she had been so close to before she found out she had been lied to her whole life, something she had never liked (She was a person who liked to know the truth no matter how much it hurt.) . She realised how different things were going to be … a new life with her mother, a mother who would always tell her the truth, a mother who she truly loved. No longer would her life be filled with an empty feeling, one of a sinking solitude, a knowing that she didn't belong, a feeling of being like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. No longer would she be looking so far into the future for her few hours with her real mother, something that was few and far between due to her strange compulsion to work, no longer would she cry at night because she knew how the world really was. Cold, heartless and cruel. A world where she couldn't be happy no matter how hard she tried because she didn't fit in. The world seemed somehow less bleak now. Her future was with her mother, her REAL mother. A person who she'd always felt some kind of cosmic connection to, an unexplained connection until everything became clear all those months ago. As much as she'd miss Vivian, she was never her mother, never the person Jessica thought she was. Things were going to be better, much better.

Jessica suddenly found herself being strapped into the car, not knowing how she had got there due to being so immersed in her thoughts, thoughts of a brighter future. And as Eric climbed into the passenger seat she allowed herself a small smile as her thoughts turned to ones of a proper family, a family where she felt right…

* * *

Thanks for reading! 

P.S The title of this chapter sounds like a horror novel, doesn't it? (I didn't come up with it. My mate Abby did.) Oh, and If it's a bit wierd, it's cos' I was listening to Mulder and Scully by Catatonia at the time (Watch out for that song!)


	6. The verdict

Sorry it took so long.

* * *

The following weeks passed quickly, things going surprisingly smoothly. At first it was weird for Calleigh WANTING to come home, but she had something to come home to. Eric decided to move in with them and Vivian's dog, Bobby, did also. Things were going very well. Unfortunately the day of reckoning crept up on them like a lurker in Vegas. The day of reckoning, the day where the will was read, the where Calleigh discovered if she'd have to give up the girls or not. Her nerves that morning were only matched by Jessica impatience. 

"Come on mommy! Let's go! We just have to rip the band-aid off. Putting this off isn't going to make it any easier!" Jessica implored, tugging restlessly at her hand, slowly pulling her towards the door. Eric couldn't help having the nagging feeling that this was the last morning that he was going to spend with the girls, that they were going to be sent away to live in an orphanage or something, that Calleigh was going to lose them. As much as he tried to suppress his hidden feelings, as the time to go and see the Lawyer drew nearer and nearer, his terror at suffering the loss of the girls just got deeper and deeper until he felt like he had a ton weight resting in the pit of his stomach. Reluctantly, for he would have rathered put the whole family under house arrest so they would never have to hear the verdict, he carefully picked up the baby carrier and made his way out of the front door.

* * *

"As you know we are here to settle the last will and testament of a Mrs. Vivian Ana Whittle, nee Reed," The lawyer said in a faux solemn voice, sitting behind a large oak desk, "Now, I understand that her children … Jessica Georgiana Whittle and … Emily Gracie Whittle have been residing with you and your …"

He paused waiting for her to fill in the blank, staring blankly at Eric.

"Partner." She whispered, the drumming of her heart rendering her nearly deaf. Eric dared not breathe for fear of missing the outcome.

"Partner … since the unfortunate and untimely death of Mrs. Vivian."

Calleigh nodded, gripping Eric's hand so tightly she was cutting off the circulation.

"Well, I sure you'll be pleased to know that Mrs. Vivian gave me specific instructions that you were to raise the children."

Relief broke over her, subduing the pounding in her head, a solitary tear making it's way down her cheek quickly brushed away by Eric's warm thumb. The lawyer, after several seconds, decided to continue.

"In accordance to her estate, belongings and financial status, she wished 25 percent of her overall assets to go to her eldest daughter Jessica, another 25 percent to go to Emily and the remainder, 50 percent, to go to you, along with her estate, automobiles and pet dog … Bobby."

She relinquished her hold on his hand, the color draining from her face a look of complete shock, a silent gasp issuing from her lips. Eric was concerned. He hadn't ever seen her look so pale, not even when he told her about Vivian's death. Suddenly the name Reed began resounding in his head, triggering a memory, a very old memory …

"_Look! Someone won it!" Marisol squealed. Eric dashed into the living room, diving onto the couch, squashing his three sisters in the process. "Eric! You're flattening me!"_

"_Mom! Eric's hurting us!" Isobel yelled in the general direction of the kitchen, his mother's temple. She was answered in a rather flat voice, as if things like this happened everyday._

"_Eric, stop squashing your sisters."_

_All of a sudden, Eric felt a fist connect with his rib, shoving his onto the floor, his head narrowly missing the coffee table. He loudly moaned in pain, covering the blaring noise of the television._

"_Look," Adalia explained, crossing her arms, staring down at him, "If you don't shut up none of us will hear it!"_

_The complaining quickly ceased as he leapt up and wiggled in between his sisters, more grumbling distributed by them._

"_In a second, I swear I'm gonna come over there and clout you're ass!" Adalia, the eldest, always seemed to have PMS._

'_And in other news,' the newsreader chuckled,' It seems the lottery jackpot, which has been rolling over for a record breaking 42 consecutive weeks has finally been won. Over to you, Carol …'_

'_Thank you, Martin. Mrs. Lamorna Reed, who resides here at Darnell, Louisiana with her husband Robert and daughter Vivian, won the $15 million dollar jackpot today in a historic turn of events. Mrs. Reed, a Louisiana native, found the winning ticket as she was walking her dog. It was lying on this very spot where I'm standing right now. Fortunately for the family, their lawyer has assured them that the ticket is rightfully theirs and they can do with it what they please. The family plan to cash it in later tonight. I bet whoever lost that ticket is kicking themselves right now! This was Carolyn Sands reporting."_

_The TV abruptly turned off, the remote in control of the children's father, who was glaring at the TV angrily._

"_Bet they'll keep it all too, greedy buggers." Pavel shouted, throwing the remote onto the armchair, stomping up the small staircase._

"_And he thinks I'm irritable!" Adalia whispered. Eric laughed looking down at the newspaper he had just picked up from the coffee table._

'_Miami Bulletin_

_19th October 1986_

_Lottery Win confirmed; housewife wins $15 million!'_

_News spreads quickly …_

"How much money is that?" Calleigh whispered, hauling him out of his memory. The lawyer removed his glasses, carefully picking up the official-looking form that up until now had been laid on his desk.

"Your share, excluding the value of the automobiles and estate, is in excess of $6 million dollars."

Eric gasped. She was rolling in it. She cleared her throat, a look of complete disbelief on her face.

"$6 million?" she uttered, her hand reaching out for Eric's instinctively, needing some kind of emotional support. Eric gladly took it, the same need emaciating from his own soul. The enormity of it had just dropped on him; he was going to be a father to these girls … if Calleigh still wanted him to be. Right now he wouldn't have blamed her if she'd have said that she needed some space, but with how tightly she was holding his hand right then, things were looking up. In truth, he had become really close to the girls in just the few short weeks they had spent together, and the thought of possibly losing them today was unbearable. He knew Calleigh would have been hysterical if the girls would have gone, not that she let on (She'd been a bit funny since she knew when the will was to be read, as if she wasn't going to let herself to get too attached to the girls, but, of course, by then it was too late.) Although, she'd revealed plenty of emotion last night when he asked her something important …

"_Do you love me, Eric?" She asked, staring into her eyes, eyes that neglected emotion. Eric couldn't believe what she'd just asked. They had just spent 23 blissful days orientating to their new life, making sure she knew how much he loved her; midnight feeds, endless nappy changes, helping around the house, telling her every single day just how much he cared … so, why was she asking that? Surely she knew. He quickly dismissed it as lack of sleep (He quickly discovered Emily had lungs like Whitney Houston.) and her unyielding paranoia._

"_Of course I love you." He answered matter of factly, trying hard to ignore the niggling thought that she was eventually going to bring the kids into this._

"_Even with her." She said gazing down into the cot, at a sleeping (Something she didn't do very often) Emily. Eric sighed, trying to put into words something that he had decided, but up until now had been incapable to express. He eventually decided on a sentence and hugging her tightly he decided to come out with it, dreading how she would react. Would she be pleased? Would she be angry? Would she try and shoot him? Unfortunately it was a chance he had to take._

"_Look," he whispered, praying desperately that whatever reaction she had, she wouldn't wake the baby, "The kids are just the icing on the cake of a perfect life for me. I mean, Jessica's a genius and Emily's going to be an opera singer and if you let me … I want to be their dad, legally."_

_Calleigh pulled away from his embrace, almost premonitionising what was going to happen next. Pulling a black velvet box from his back pocket, he bent down on one knee, looking endearingly into her eyes._

"_Will you marry me?"_

T.B.C

* * *

I love cliffhangers! Reveiw please! I promise I will update as soon as possible. 

Drommie XXXX


	7. Victims of the Freeway

_She was speechless. She had always imagined that it would lead up to this, but she wasn't entirely prepared for it … a huge smile broke over her face as she worked out what he'd said (Which lack of sleep rendered nearly impossible) and threw her arms around his neck. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't trying to murder him (Although she was squeezing his neck pretty tightly). She stood up and pulled him to his feet, her eyes never leaving his, the looks of pure bliss reverberating off each other, seeping into the room, till the popular feeling was that they were the only two people in the world, there, in the moment. Or they would have been if Emily hadn't chosen that particular moment to wake up. Calleigh let out an exasperated sigh, annoyed that the moment was ruined. Eric just laughed, walking out the door to make a bottle of baby formula (He knew she'd never go back to sleep without being fed). He could see it was going to be one of those days …_

He unwittingly fiddled and stared at the white gold ring that was now resting on the hand he was holding, a hand that was as pale as a ghost. He glanced upwards, needing some kind of signal that she was Ok, that she was going to recover from this latest emotional blow. She somehow managed to pull her eyes away from the Lawyer, only to begin gaping into Eric's.

"6 million." She stated flatly, almost at a loss for words.

"6 million." He repeated, a smile spreading across his face.

"6 million." She gasped, throwing her arms around him. Even though the death of her friend still hung over her, Vivian's sweet parting gift made the world seemed a little brighter somehow.

* * *

A quarter of an hour later, they emerged form the office of the Lawyer and began to head down the corridor where Alexx was sat tending to the girls. Upon seeing them come into view, Jessica hopped down off the chair she had been patiently waiting on for the past half hour to run towards her mother. Unexpectedly, she stopped short, gazing up, almost psychically transmitting the question that was surrounding her mind. Kneeling down so they were face to face, Calleigh reached out and grasped her hands, staring down at them.

"Jessica…"

'Not the orphanage. Not the orphanage. Not the orphanage.' Jessica silently begged.

"Do you still want to stay with me?" Calleigh asked, confirming that the Lawyer had given the OK. By way of an answer, Jessica threw her arms around her mother, never wanting to let go. Eric smiled down at them, as glad at the outcome as Calleigh, glad that finally he could stop wandering from meaningless relationship to meaningless relationship, glad that he could have a family who he truly loved. Somehow he sensed that, come what may, everything was going to turn out ok in the end…

* * *

Two summers later, the family had gone from strength to strength, moving into the five-bedroom house they had been left in Coconut grove (With a heated indoor swimming pool Eric noted with much delight), both Calleigh and Eric had managed to retain their jobs due to the quality of babysitting that money COULD buy (Calleigh wouldn't settle for second best, Eric described her as an obsessive mother - which was not always a bad thing she reminded him constantly.), Jessica had started high school (Something that made her incessantly happy despite her being only eight years old at the time. She described it as 'The joy of being fast tracked'), Emily had begun walking (Exploring everywhere and everything), talking (Her first words in order of occurrence: Mommy, Daddy, Jess, and Beyonce. Eric thought the last one was very strange.) And generally being loud (Her Whitney Houston/Cher streak still ran deep just below the surface.) And Eric … He was sure that he was the luckiest man in the world. He knew he spoiled the girls, but he didn't care. They were his angels, his miniature Calleigh's. It didn't matter that they weren't his. Calleigh decided that Emily would always be told Eric was her real father, no matter what and Jessica almost adopted him from the off. He was her dad and that was the end of the story. And to top it off, he was absolutely smitten. They hadn't gotten round to planning the wedding (Complications arose, were ensued and were overcome) yet neither one of them cared. They knew they were meant for each other and that they didn't need a big party to tell each other how much they cared. But Eric was still set on having that big party, the big party that Calleigh deserved. It was a late October morning, the unrelenting summer heat had finally passed and The family were in the car (A red people carrier, another gift from the second year dear departed Vivian), traveling to their everyday duties (Calleigh and Eric to the lab, a small mountain of paperwork for them each to complete, Jessica to school, where she would be practicing for her saxophone recital that night, and Emily to daycare, though she made it very clear she would have rather gone to work with her parents.) Calleigh hands were laid softly on the steering wheel, the diamond and sapphire engagement ring still glittering there, as the sped down the freeway.

"Mommy, I wanna go to work too!" Whined Emily. Calleigh chuckled.

"Emmy, when you have to go to work everyday, you won't want to go."

"Sweet Irony rearing it's ugly head again." Jessica commented.

"Yeah," Eric added, "Once the novelty wears off it begins to feel more and more like the daily grind."

"Eh?" Emily added rather ineloquently. The others just laughed, even though Emily went into a huff because she knew she was being laughed at. Suddenly, Jessica's senses went into overdrive. She rapidly shut the book she was reading, scanning the surrounding area for what she was by some means picking up.

"There's something wrong." She announced, still unsure what it was that was actually wrong. Calleigh was worried, Jessica's feelings almost never failing her. She couldn't see anything but that didn't necessarily mean there was nothing there as was proved the time Jessica told her that there was a hole in the road, and Calleigh, not being able to see any such hole, disbelieved her which led to a large dint in the people carrier. Eric glanced back at Jessica (Who was sat in the chair behind the passenger seat, Eric's allocated spot in the people carrier) who, for some reason, unbeknownst to herself, brought her knees from off the floor and hugged them tightly to her chest, protecting herself from some unknown force.

"Maybe we should stop." Calleigh suggested, glancing over to him, "Eric?"

He swiveled his head back forwards in time to see the oil tanker around eight cars in front suddenly overturn, as if pushed by a large invisible hand. Upon hearing the noise of the heavy truck hit the asphalt, Calleigh spun back around and froze as she saw the first car hit the truck and burst into flames. As the second car hit, the realization that they were about to be in a car accident hit her. As the third met its fate also, she slammed on the brakes, willing the car to stop. The fourth and the fifth hit in quick succession. The sixth tried to swerve, a failed attempt, blowing up as it hit the already mounting flames. The car wasn't slowing down fast enough. She couldn't stop the car. They were going to hit the truck. There was no way to avoid it. It had over turned in such a way that the cab was scraping the safety barrier and the end of the tank was colliding with the trees at the other side of the road. The seventh hit the sixth, resulting in an enormous explosion, flames towering above the tops of the palm trees. There was no time to react. This was it. They were all going to die. The last thing she would see, the burning carcasses of the cars, crunched and dismembered. The last thing she would smell, the reeking odor of the oil spilling across the road. The last thing she would taste, the pancakes Eric had made that morning, covered in golden syrup and sugar, just the way she liked them. The last thing she would see, the yellow and orange inferno that now blazed in front of her. The last thing she would ever hear, the terrified screams of her daughters. As the eighth hit, she realized the Freeway had come back to claim the remnants of Vivian's family. They were all going to die.

T.B.C


	8. Nothing compares to you

Sorry for keeping y'all waiting. Enjoy!

* * *

No. They weren't going to die. NO. She refused to let fate capture her family. She knew what she was going to attempt was dangerous, but if she died in the process, it would be better than all of them. She shifted the car into reverse and rammed her foot on the gas. She quickly turned the wheel urging the car to back off the road into a gap between the trees, a safe place. The flames reached out towards the car's passenger side, but were still a fair few feet short thanks to Calleigh's reaction. Then the worst happened, the worst-case scenario. A few feet from the grassy siding, a pickup truck, desperately trying to stop, swerved, clipping the front of the people carrier's driver side, sending the car into an uncontrollable spin, the world whirring around and around, the flames melting into the surroundings till all that could be seen from the car was a orange, yellow and sky blue blur. Suddenly, the world stopped revolving. The car thudded into a palm tree, the driver door crushed by the weight of the rest of the car's crumpled metal. Glass shattered, plastic warped, metal creased, silence only covered by the roar of the flames and the whirr of the sirens. Eric was trapped. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. He was enclosed. He was terrified. He dragged himself away from the wreckage that was their car and attempted to compose himself on the grass verge. A tiny, petrified voice tore him from his concussion.

"Daddy?"

Eric rushed towards the voice, wrenching the back door off its hinges in desperation to get to his possibly injured children. The car was a ruin. By some gift of god, the back seat had remained intact (As opposed to the rest of the car) and the children seemed relatively unscathed. The front passenger seat had shot backward when they hit the tree, the reason for Jessica hugging her legs becoming apparent. If she hadn't, the seat would have crushed her legs. He quickly undid both girls' seatbelts, and helped them clamber out of the car, and placed them quickly on the grass, scanning them for any signs of injury. Satisfied that neither of them were in any mortal danger, he went around to the passenger door, the only viable entrance to the driver's side, the only access point to Calleigh. It was only when he entered the car once more he realised just how badly she was injured. Blood gushed from a wound on her head, running down her blond hair, onto her arm, resting on the twisted metal limply. Cut's and bruises plastered her arms and a large piece of the car's roof was laid on her chest. He shifted it gently, as not to hurt her even though she was clearly unconscious and carried her lifeless, tiny, frail body from the car and laid her down on the cool grass where she was promptly surrounded by two girls, eager to know how their mom was. Eric couldn't restrain a tiny tear as her cradled her unresponsive form. Even as the Emergency services arrived, he remained immobile, praying that she was going to pull through. Before he knew it, Alexx was looking at the girls' cuts at the hospital, trying in vain to get him to see a doctor. Instead, he sat staring into space, asking himself why he didn't drive the car that morning, why he didn't insist, how it was all his fault that the love of his life was hanging by a thread in surgery, mentally punishing himself for not doing more to save her from this grim destiny.

* * *

"It's no good reprimanding yourself, you know." Jessica whispered, sitting next to him in the waiting room.

"I know. I feel so guilty." He sighed, suddenly realising they were missing someone, "Where's Emily?"

"Alexx is sorting out the cut on her arm." She said, glancing across the corridor to where Emily was sat on the examination table, happily sucking a lollipop, blissfully unaware of the danger her mother was in. A nurse suddenly blocked the view.

"Mr Delko?" She asked, gazing down at him.

"Yes. How is she? Is she going to be OK?" He replied, jumping up, the immense worry conveying in his voice.

"She's sustained some very bad injuries, but she's going to be absolutely fine." The nurse smiled. Eric released a breath he hadn't even realised he had been holding, noticeably relaxing. Jessica leapt up and ran out of the room, presumably across the hall to tell Alexx the good news.

"You can go in and see her if you like." The nurse added, leaving the waiting room. He didn't need to be told twice.

Light cascaded through the open window, illuminating the pale sheets against her pale skin, glinting off the various wires attached to the life support equipment, a steady beep emitting from the heart monitor. He couldn't stop a faint gasp emanating as he stared down at her fragile, pale body – a Calleigh he'd never seen before. So weak, so helpless. Almost like an abandoned kitten. He sat in the chair next to her bed and watched her sleep for the longest time, her rhythmic breathing soothing his soul, frayed with worry. Hours passed like minutes, the last rays of the setting sun illuminating her angelic slumbering features, red beams reflecting off of her glossy blonde locks, framing her face. Eventually he decided to leave the room, even though it broke his heart to do it.

"Eric? Are you going to be OK, Honey? I can watch the girls for tonight if you want." Alexx whispered once he was outside the room, softly closing the door.

"No thanks, Alexx. I think the girls are the only thing keeping me sane right now." He said walking down the corridor, hand in hand with Jessica, "Where's Emily?"

"I thought she was with you." She stated, glancing around the corridor. Eric began to panic. Calleigh had been away 10 hours and he had already lost the youngest. The event just made the realisation that he had become dependent on her even deeper.

"I'll go talk to reception." Alexx yelled, already half way down the corridor. He quickly glanced around again but nothing could be seen through the swarms of people marching down the corridor. One of his hands suddenly became cold as Jessica pushed through the crowd towards her mothers room, beckoning her father to follow. She steadily pushed open the door, as not to disturb the scene unfolding inside. For the second time that day, Eric gasped at what he saw … and heard. A tiny voice, a sweet articulation, the voice of an angel sounded from inside the darkened room.

"All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the back yard, all died when you went away." Emily sang softly, her feet dangling from the chair next to her mother's bed, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Footsteps made her turn, her father steadily making his way towards her.

"Mummy sings to me when I can't sleep. I thought it might wake her up." She cried, totally ignoring the breathy gasp issuing from her mother.

"It worked, baby." Calleigh whispered, a move she quickly regretted as two little girls jumped on her, happy giggles issuing from them, "You've got a fantastic gift. Just like your sister."

Eric couldn't help smiling when Emily stuck her tongue out at Jessica, who retaliated by smiling sarcastically (Emily hadn't quite got the hang of sarcasm, but Calleigh thought it was going to be interesting when she did)

"I told you she was going to be a singer." Calleigh told Eric as she embraced him, holding onto him, urging him to take them far away, a place where no obstacles could stand between them and becoming a family, a place where fate wouldn't try and pull them apart, a place where they could be safe together.

"Well, you know what Yazz said." Emily laughed, only to be met by blank stares (They weren't as big on music as she was) so, sighing, she decided to elaborate.

"The only way is up."

The End

* * *

I'm already planning a sequel. Just F.Y.I. As long as there's no objections. Tell me. Review. Nudge Nudge. Pretty Please. 


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